Machine for cutting button-blanks from shells.



A. P. WALLACE.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BUTTON BLANKS FROM SHELLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, 1907.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

RS cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

RRIS

ARCHIE P. WALLACE, or KEITHSBURG, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BUTTON-BLANKS FROM SHELLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

i Application filed February 8, 1907. Serial No. 356,450.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARoHIE P. W'ALLACE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Keithsburg, in the county of Mercer and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forCutting Button Blanks from Shells, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to machines for making button blanks, and moreparticularly to that class or type thereof which are used in cuttingbutton blanks from one of the plates or valves of a bivalvular shell,such as the shell of a fresh water mussel, from which the presentso-called pearl buttons of commerce are extensively made. Machines ofthis class commonly employ a 1'0- tary annular saw to effect the cuttingof the blank from the shell, a contact-plug or abutment member on oragainst which the shell is secured in proper position to be cut, a clampfor holding the shell on or againstsuch contact-plug, and means forproducing a relative to and fro movement between the cutter and thecontact-plug. To secure the best results, it is desirable to hold theshell as rigidly as possible against the plug by means of the clampduring the cutting oper ation; while it is also desirable to apply theclamp lightly when the parts are in non-cutting position to facilitatethe work of the operator in applying and removing the shell.

The object of the present invention, therefore, may be said to be toprovide a new and improved means for effecting an increased gripping andholding effect of the clamp upon the shell during the cutting operation;which object I carry out by a mechanism involving the employment ofsprings so disposed as to be called into action during the feedingmovement of the shell toward the saw and operating to apply an increasedpull upon the clamp so as to draw the latter upon the shell withincreased force just prior to and during the cutting engagement of thesaw with the shell.

My invention, and its manner of operation, will be readily understoodwhen considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, which showsin elevation so much of the parts of a button blank cutting machine asis essential to make clear the nature, construction, and manner ofworking of the mechanism embodying the invention.

Referring, therefore, to the said drawing for a more detaileddescription of the mechanism, and first describing such parts of themachine as are now in use, 1 may designate a fixed su porting frame orstandard, which may be of any desired form or construction, that isprovided near its upper end with a pair of bearings 2 and 3 for arbor 4of an annular saw indicated at 5. Rotary movement is imparted to the sawfrom a driven shaft (3 through bevel pinions 7 and 8 fast with the shaft6 and arbor 4, respectively, and intermeshing with each other.

T o the frame 1 beneath the saw 5 is rigidly secured a bearing sleeve 9,in which is slidably mounted a post 10 carrying at its lower end aroller 11 that may rest on the periphery of a suitable operating cam oreccentric 12 fast on a driven shaft 13. The post 10 carries at its upperend a contactplug 11 preferably provided with an annular row of teeth orserrations on its upper edge indicated at 15, said contact-plug servingas an abutment for the shell to be cut, which is shown in cross-sectionat 16. The post 10 also has mounted thereon just below the contact-plug1 1 a yoke 17, the laterally projecting arms of which terminate invertical sleeve bearings 18 designed to accommodate a pair of slidabletension rods 19. The rods 19 carry at their upper ends a clamp adaptedto engage the shell 16, which clamp may conveniently consist of aslightly bowed plate 20 secured at its ends on the rods 19 between fixedcollars 21 and nuts 22. The clamp plate 20 is centrally apertured, asindicated at 23; and to the under side of the plate and surrounding saidaperture is secured, or formed integrally, a. depending annular lip 24having a serrated lower edge 25 adapted to bite upon the back of theshell and force the same securely upon the upper edge of thecontact-plug 14. A light tension of the clamp upon the shell, such aspermits the clamp to be raised by the operator sufficiently to insert anextra shell without difficulty, is maintained by means of comparativelylight compression springs 26 inserted between annular shoulders 27 onthe rods 19 and the lower ends of the bearing sleeves 18. To raise theclamp plate when desired, a simple manually operable mechanism is shownconsisting of a shaft 28 journaled transversely of the yoke 17 andcarrying segment gears 29 that cooperate through vertical slots in thesleeves 18 with gear-racks formed on the rods 19; a suitable handle 30being applied to the shaft 28 for operating the same.

Referring now to the subject-matter of my present improvements, 31designates as an entirety an abutment member rigidly secured to thebearing sleeve 9 as by an ordinary split collar united by bolts 32, saidabutment member having laterally projecting portions 33 that areaperture'd for the free passage therethrough of the rods 19 and coilsprings 26; and 34 designates each of a pair of stiff coil springs thatencircle the rods 19 and lighter coil springs 26 resting at their lowerends on the heads or nuts 35 forming shoulders on the lower ends of saidrods 19. The springs 34 are of such length that, when the clamp 20 isengaged with a shell, as shown, said springs are inactive, theirupperends being some distance below the abutment-s 33.

The post 10, yoke 17, and rods 19 unitedly constitute in effect acarriage for the contactplug 14 and clamp 20; and in the operation ofthe mechanism, as the cam 12 raises the carriage and parts carriedthereby toward the saw, before the shell is brought into contact withthe saw the upper ends of the springs 34 engage the abutments 33, andthe continued upward movement of the parts places said springs undergradually increasing compression, which effects a correspondinglygradually increasing downward pull on the clamp 20 which, by the timethe saw engages the shell, is sufliciently strong to hold the shellbetween the clamp and contact-plug against displacement under the actionof the saw, and thereby insures a true and accurate cutting of theblank.

I claim:

1. In a machine for cutting button blanks from shells, the combinationwith a rotary annular saw of a carriage, a contactplug carried thereby,a clamp-plate also carried by said carriage adapted to cooperate withsaid contact-plug to hold a shell, spring means constantly urging saidclamp-plate toward said contact-plug, means for feeding said carriagetoward said saw, and other spring means brought into action during suchfeeding movement of said carriage operating to additionally draw saidclamp toward said contact-plug under a gradually increasing pull as saidcarriage approaches said saw, substantially as described.

2. In amachine for cutting button-blanks from shells, the combinationwith a rotary annular saw, of a carriage, a contact-plug carriedthereby, a clamp also carried by said carriage and cooperating with saidcontactplug to hold a shell, means for feeding said carriage toward saidsaw, springs also carried by said carriage and connected at one end tosaid clamp, and fixed abutments adapted to be engaged by the other endof said springs during the movement of said carriage toward said saw,substantially as described.

3. In a machine for cutting button-blanks from shells, the combinationwith a rotary annular saw, of a post mounted to reciprocate endwise, acontact-plug carried on the upper end of said post, a yoke also carriedby said post the arms of which terminate in bearing-sleeves, rodsslidably mounted in said bearing-sleeves and provided with upper andlower shoulders, a clamp plate mounted on and between the upper ends ofsaid rods and cooperating with said contactplug to hold a shell,relatively light coil springs embracing said rods and confined endwisebetween said upper shoulders and the lower ends of said bearing-sleeves,means for raising said post and the parts carried thereby to said saw,fixed abutments through which said rods extend, and relatively hea'vycoil springs embracing said rods, said last-named springs being steppedat their lower ends on said lower shoulders and at their upper endsadapted to contact said abutments during the rising movement of saidpost, substantially described.

ARCHIE P. WALLACE. Witnesses R. E. BLOOMER, E. E. DETERLINE.

